Leaving Amazon India in 8 months
What can be a good reason for me to give to the prospective hiring managers for this immediate change? My original reason is low TC. I joined as an L4 SDE with 2 YOE taking a pay cut believing I would get promoted and compensation would become equivalent to L5 after 1.5-2 years. But after joining I realised there is a big pay gap between promoted and hired L5. Besides that promotion also takes at least 1.5 years according to my manager who says you are performing at L5 but we need at least 1.5 years to promote. So I don't feel any motivation to work at Amazon and feel instead I should boomerang back to L5 in 6 months or so. I originally had other offers with up to 50% more TC than Amazon but like a fool, I rejected them to join at a low TC here. I am not sure how to frame this reason in the interview? Directly saying TC might make me look greedy. In a recent interview with another company, I tried to wing it by saying high ops load, low learning opportunities but HM wasn't buying it. I am able to clear most of the technical interviews but get stuck mostly in HM round around this question. TC at Amazon: 20LPA YOE: 2.5
Lol. Kids these days with barely 2.5 YoE have the balls to call the shots at FAANG?
I dunno, clearing Amazon at L4 and L5 doesn't seem very difficult to me at least in India. I see many of my college friends with the same experience as mine joining as L5 with double my TC.
Iâm with you OP. Been through this shit in the US and after two promo attempts and no promo, I just left to work at G. If youâd like to go back as L5, make sure you donât burn any bridges. Amazon is used to having folks leave after a very short period there, so they hopefully wonât hold it against you.
You call that low for 2.5 yoe and expect L5? That sounds like a reach and hiring managers are probably sensing it. From what I know of salaries in India, that much is the average after 5-10 yoe. Unless you're a prodigy who also has great soft skills, L5 should also need 8+ yoe. Figure out what you can learn. Move for learning opportunities instead of money alone. You'll commit career suicide if you move for money to a place where you can't keep up with technologies. Career progresses much slower than college - I'm not being sarcastic here. Pace yourself and see what's the long game you can play.
I don't think that's true. L5 is a wide band and people from 2YOE - 10 YOE are there in the band. I agree to the point of learning but seeing myself lagging behind my peers with half their TC and with not much difference in the work done, takes away all my motivation.
20L tc is neither low nor high for 2.5 yoe. I am a fresh grad and many of my friends started earning as high as 18L base right after college. Several startups pay much more than that. It depends on the world that you are seeing. Even Oracle is giving 20L tc for my friends right after college and you are saying 20L is average after 5 yrs!!
Lol, if you can not figure out a reason on your own to give to the hiring manager, I do not think you are even fit to crack these interviews. And believe me coming back to Amazon for you will be alot difficult than getting promoted. Looking at your greed, I know definitely would want to come back to Amazon after 6 months but they won't take you back. Plus all your friends will move to US by that time and you will making đ„ compared to them and will be regretting your decision. From someone who was in same position as you are now but looked at the long term picture.
So what do you suggest?
Stay, get promoted and move to US. Everyone of your friend will be offered same compansation at L5 in Seattle. You only care about money and big money is not in India, it's in US.
Yes, YOiW43 is riding on his high horse and is very rude. I don't know how is he able to judge so much from a single question. Maybe reflecting his own insecurities?
That's your will man, I told you cause I can relate what you are talking about. All these people, who would say you should not move to US would move to US instantly if given a chance. You would get 35 TC in India if you really perform well given the year of experience you have (every company is not like Amazon). Amazon will never hire you back on L5 until you are going to FAANG or MS and you will have to spend min one year in that company before coming back or you will be down leveled to L4 again. In US at L5 base is 150k plus I am assuming you will get new stocks on promotion so you will easily make around 190k to 200k. Now you do the math. Now coming to judging part, if you are not able to find the answer for this question on your own. Then while coming back to amazon, convincing them is not your cup of tea. For a record: I moved from amazon 2 years ago and will be joining amazon Vancouver soon.
I think you are wrong here. In my org, I see people from tier 3 companies with about 3 YOE getting hired as L5. Regarding the 35 TC figure I am not exactly sure if that can happen, my teammates, who got promoted this quarter even they are getting 24 TC with no stocks, so I don't think it's achievable so easily. Even one of the recently promoted teammate of mine left Amazon because of this reason. The manager didn't change his compensation even when his counteroffer was more than 2x. I can't move outside of India because of my family conditions, so maximizing TC in India is the only solution for me.
Just FYI I have friends with 2.5 YOE who were offered nearly 50 as TC and 30+ as base in Amazon. No they aren't prodigy just regular SWE's.
Just say you are going to work on a startup with your friends. Since this is an early period of your career you want to give it a try.
What's the TC for L5 ?
For external hires atleast 40 LPA.
Damn that's too much diff. As your current tc is 20 L how long will it take for you to reach that if you wait for promo?